Machines for applying labels to articles as they are moved through the machine have been used extensively in connection with the processing of cans, bottles and articles of fairly uniform configuration. In this type of machine the movement of the article is often used to contact a lever or star wheel or the like to actuate a mechanism for feeding the labels forwardly. The use of rollers and pressure members to press the labels onto articles is also a common expedient. While these mechanisms have been effective in applying labels to moving objects of fairly uniform configuration, their use with rolling fruit or the like has met with little commercial success.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a machine for effectively applying labels to objects having configurations, such as fruit, while the objects are being advanced along a predetermined path.
A further object is to provide an improved roller mechanism for effecting the smooth transfer of labels to moving objects.